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Cinco de Mayo activities are a wonderful way to teach kids about Mexican history. Seeing that many people believe that May 5 is Mexico’s Independence Day (it’s not!), it is important for kids to know its true meaning. So what does it celebrate?

First, it is very important to truly understand this celebration and to share this information with your students and children. In order to help, please read this important article from the ARTery: Please Don’t Wear A Sombrero: What Cinco De Mayo Really Means, From A Mexican.

With this in mind, according to National Geographic Kids:

On the morning of May 5, 1862, 6,000 French troops stormed the Mexican city of Heróica Puebla de Zaragoza to bring it under French rule. The Mexican soldiers were outnumbered, but they fiercely fought back. By early evening, the French had retreated.

Now the people of Puebla, Mexico, observe the holiday Cinco de Mayo to celebrate this victory. The holiday is also widely celebrated in the United States. Americans use the celebration to honor the battle as well as Mexican culture.

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/history/cinco-de-mayo/#mexico-cinco-dancers.jpg

Now that you know what the holiday is all about, here are some great resources and activities to help teach and celebrate this special day!

Cinco de Mayo Activities – Teaching Resources

• First, here’s a nice collection of resources for kids and teachers
• Then see Lots of great info and resources from A to Z Kids
• Also, see these great Facts & Worksheets for Kids

• Celebrate! 10 Fun Cinco de Mayo Activities for Kids
• Since you can never go wrong with food, be sure to see this awesome post with lots of great resources from Pre-K Pages including a recipe for flan!
• Finally, check out this huge collection of resources from TheHomeSchoolMom

Cinco de Mayo Activities & Crafts

• First, check 7 Fun Activities for Kids from FamilyEducation
• Next, there are some great ideas from Mommy Nearest in 5 Fun Ways to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with the Kiddos

• Additionally, here are 5 Kids Crafts from the Spruce Crafts
• Also, check out these ten Cinco de Mayo Crafts For Kids from Totally the Bomb
• Next, definitely see these Crafts and Snacks for Kids

Books

Finally, here are some fun resources (and deals) to help learn more about the holiday and have some fun too. Be sure to check out additional Spanish resources including Bilingual Books for Kids, Spanish Colors, Alphabet, and Numbers! Watch the quick video to see everything the color-by-number activty includes!

Now that you know what May 5 is really about, how will you celebrate? Please leave a comment sharing your ideas and resources! ¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!